When generating, storing, and playing back video sequences, it is often desirable to compress the video files, most often to reduce file size. Video compression algorithms designed to reduce video file size often use codecs that combine spatial image compression and temporal motion compensation to reduce the binary data size of the image sequences. Many of these video compression algorithms use lossy compression, and there is always a trade-off between video quality, compression data size, decompression system requirements and cost of compression.
When playing video sequences on gaming machines, the time taken to decode and display the images of a video sequence is often a primary consideration. However, traditional compression techniques that place high importance on file size are often slow to decode.
Furthermore, a majority of video compression algorithms operate in YUV colour space or RBG colour space. Most video codecs are designed to minimise file size, while very few are designed to minimise decode/display times.
It is desired to address or ameliorate one or more shortcomings or disadvantages associated with prior techniques for the compression and decompression of video data in a gaming machine, or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.